Welt stick mechanism of straight bar knitting machines



Nov. 25, 1952 1.. BROWN EI'AL 2,613,947

WELT STICK MECHANISM OF STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17,1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 25, 1952 BROWN ETAL 2,618,947

WELT STICK MECHANISM OF STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17,1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenl orr Nov. 25, 1952 BROWN EI'AL 2,618,947

WELT STICK MECHANISM OF STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17,1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 25, 1952 BRQWN ETAL 2,618,947

WELT STICK MECHANISM OF STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1950 4 SheetsShe'et 4 l atenteci Nov. 25 1952 WELT STICK MECHANISM OFSTRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Leonard Brown, Nottingham, and JohnEdward Lynam, Mapperley, Nottingham, England, assignors to WilliamCotton Limited, Loughborough, England Application May 1'7, 1950, SerialNo. 162,448 In Great Britain May 18, 1949 9 Claims. 1

This invention concerns improvements in andrelating to welt stickmechanism of Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machines andis primarily concerned with machines having welt turning apparatus ofthe type comprising a series of hooked welting instruments which receivethread loops or kinks of an initial welt course, are moved away from theneedles at the plain side thereof during the production of at least aportion of the welt fabric and are subsequently advanced to the needlesto permit the initial course to be applied to the latter in the act ofturning the welt, a bight of the Welt fabric being tensioned beneath theinstruments at an intermediate stage in the production of the welt bymeans of a welt stick (or its equivalent) and suitable attachedtensioning means so that the loops or kinks held by the instruments aretensioned away from the needles against stops or catches provided on orin association with the instruments.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for laying-inthe welt stick (often referred to as a welt wire or welt rod). Theinvention is applicable to the machine and apparatus forming the subjectof patent application No. 162,447, filed May 17, 1950.

With this object in view the invention provides, in a Cottons patent orother straight bar knitting machine employing a welt bar, welt stickmechanism comprising catches, one at each side of the division ofneedles, for receiving the ends of the welt stick but capable ofpermitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means for movingthe catches between an elevated stickreceiving position and a loweredstick-delivery position in which the stick is presented in the vicinityof the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks, take-up means attached tothem, means for positioning the hooks, against the tension of the saidtake-up means, at a rest location in front of the needle line, means foradvancing the hooks, against the tension of the take-up means, beneaththe welt bar from the rest position to a stick-receiving position whichis nearer to the needle line and in which the hooks engage the ends ofthe sticks so as then to draw the stick away from the needle line andunder the welt bar under the influence of the take-up means, a bight offabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar.

Preferably, in their stick-receiving position the hooks are positionedto receive the ends of the stick as the latter is lowered by the catchesto delivery position.

According to a subsidiary feature of the invention, there is astick-holder for the temporary reception of the welt stick, which holderis constructed and arranged to relinquish the stick to the catches uponmovement of the latter from stick-receiving position. The catches may bearranged to engage with the sticks, in the holder, upon their movementinto stick-receiving position. The stick-holder (which may be providedon the picot bar with which Cottons patent machines are commonlyequipped) is with advantage movable between a raised holding position inwhich it retains the stick and a lowered sticksurrender position inwhich it is placed to relinquish the stick to the catches. This permitsthe stick to be loaded into the raised holder by the machine operator atany time convenient to him andthe stick, being held in this raisedposition until just before it is to be used, does not obstruct theoperators view of the needles.

The above and other features of the invention are set forth in theappended claims and are disclosed in the detailed description given byway of example of the particular embodiments illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a sectional view of welt stick mechanism according to theinvention, showing sufficient of the adjacent parts of the knittingmachine to permit the latter to be identified;

Figures 2 and 3 are detail sectional views, on a larger scale, of partsof said mechanism at different stages;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of part of said mechanism;

Figures 5 and 6 show said ther different stages;

Figure 7 is a plan view showing said mecha nism.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown as beingincorporated in a straight bar knitting machine according to co-pendingpatent application No. 162,447, filed May 1'7, 1950. Only sufiicient ofthe knitting machine is shown to permit it to be identified butattention is directed to the table 62, frame member 63, main cam shaft2%, needles 6!, sinkers 64, picot points 65, and picot bar 3, theseelements being of conventional kind. In conventional manner, the machinemay comprise a plurality of divisions each arranged to knit a selvedgedblank (although the invention is of course applicable to a single unitmachine, having a single division of needles for knitting a singleblank) and in Figure '7 there is shown the majority of the welt stickmechanism for a representative division; certain elements of mechanism(e. g. shafts) will extend along a plurality mechanism at fur- 3 ofdivisions as will be obvious to one skilled in the art.

Considering now the mechanism of a representative division, andreferring especially to Figure the welt stick I is initially held inspring clips 2 attached to the picot bar 3. For the purpose of readilyfitting the stick by hand, end guides 4 are provided which function toengage the ends of the stick and locate it in desired position withrespect to its length. The picot bar 3 is carried by arms fixed on arock shaft 6, and this shaft is rocked (conveniently bya hand lever 70)to swing the picot bar 3 down from the inoperative position shown inFigure 1 to the operative position shown in Figure 2; when the bar 3 isin the operative position the mouths of clips 2 are presented downwardlyas shown.

For transferring the welt stick from the clips 2 to a position on thewelt fabric F (Figures 2 and 3) that is being produced, there isprovided at each end of the division of needles a gripper arm I forengaging the adjacent end of the welt stick; each arm I is pivotallyconnected to and is carried by a forked arm 8 fixed on a shaft 9; aspring I9 biases the gripper arm I against a fixed'guide lug II. Theshaft 9 is rocked by an arm l2 (Figure 1) that is connected by a link I3to anarm I4 on shaft I5, the arm I4 being turned about shaft I5 by armI5, rod I1, and trunk lever I8 pivoted at 66 and having a truck I9 forengagement by a cam on the main cam shaft 2|. Truck lever I8 has anextension 52 with a truck 53 for engaging the cam 20 to ensure a quickreturn of the gripper arms I after being raised. Each gripper arm I hasa catch (for receiving the adjacent end of the welt stick but capable ofpermitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of it) comprising a leafspring guide 22 (see particularly Figure 4) fixed at its lower end 23and having a bent free end 24. A second leaf spring 25 is superimposedon the spring 22 and is also fixed at its lower end 26 and has a bentfree end 21. To the upper extremity of each gripper arm 'I there is alsofixed a spring plate 28 which is bent or curved to form an invertedlocating trough 29; this plate 28 is fixed at one end 30 and has a freeend 3% which is spaced from the bent part 24 of the leaf spring 22 toform a lead-in mouth 32 for the welt stick I; said plate 28 is alsospaced upwardly from the bent end 21 of leaf spring 25 to form an exitmouth 33 for the welt stick I.

There is also provided means for automatically connecting the twotake-off welt straps 34 to the welt stick I, and for this purpose eachwelt strap has a, double hook 35, 35, consisting of a main hook 35 forhooking into the end of the stick I and a subsidiary hook 36 to thefront of the main hook (considering the front of the machine as being atthe plain side of the needles BI and to the right as shown in Figure l)for hooking onto a peg 39. The straps 34 are attached to the usualdraw-off roller 31 biased in the winding-up or draw-off direction byweightedcords or the like 38. There is a peg 39 at each side of thedivision; each peg projects inwards through a guide slot 4| in a guideplate 61, from the otherwise-free end of a, link 49. By means of theselinks, the pegs 39 may beslid along slots 4| which have upwardlyinclined end parts 2 and 43, by which the pegs 39 are located at a highlevel at either end of their travel, and alow intermediate part. Eachlink is connected to an arm 44 fixed on shaft 45 and theshaft is rockedthrough the 4 medium of gear quadrants 46, 47, rod 48, truck lever 49having a truck 58, and cam 5I on the main cam shaft 2|.

Both trucks I 9 and 53 are shogged, for rendering the gripper arms I andlinks at operative and inoperative when desired, by forks 54, 55respectively which are fixed on a control rod 56; this rod is operated,for example, by tappet 5'! and pattern disc 58 on pattern control shaft59. Such truck-shogging mechanism is conventional.

In operation, the straps 34 are drawn ofi' roller 31 and the subsidiaryhooks 3% hooked around pins 39, the latter being then at the forwardends 43 of their guide slots 5! as shown in Figure 1 so that the hooksare then positioned, against the tension of straps 34, at a restlocation in front of the needle line. The welt bar 69 is advancedtowards the needles SI for setting up the initial course, and during theadvancing movement, the picot bar 3 is lowered from its inoperativeposition shownin Figure 2, so as to present a welt stick I, alreadyplaced by hand in the clips 2, ready to be taken by the stick-receivingcatches on the gripper bars 1. After the setting up course, the welt bar33 is retracted to take off the welt fabric as it is being knitted asindicated in Figure 2.

When an appropriate length of the fabriehas been knitted, the gripperbars I are automatically raised by the means described above, to thestickreceiving position shown in Figures 3 and 4, whereat the ends ofthe Welt stick I deflect the guide springs 24 and 50 enter the lead-inmouth 32 of the stick-receiving catches on the gripper arms and becomelocated between the plate 28 and the bent end 21 of the leaf spring 25,the arrangement being such that the said ends of the welt stick areurged by the leaf spring 22 to a location whereat said ends registerwith the troughs formed by the plates 28. At about the same time thatthe gripper arms 1 are raised the Welt straps 3 2 are advanced (Figure3) by the pegs 39 and the aforesaid operating mechanism. In thismovement, the two hooks 35, 36, dip below the Welt bar 60 by reason ofthe shape of guide slots M and travel to a stick-receiving location(which is nearer to the needle line than the rest location) in whichthey are presented ready to receive the welt stick I.

When a sufficient length of the welt fabric has been knitted for thewelt stick I to be laid on the fabric, the gripperarms I are lowered,thereby lowering their catches from the elevated stickreceiving positionso that the catches pluckthe stick I from the clips 2. The catchestravel down and carry the stick first on to the fabric andthen furtherdown so that in their lowermost, or stickdelivery, position the stick ispresented between the main and subsidiary hooks 35, 35; at the same timethe stick I presses the fabric F downwards as shown in Figure 5. Next,the welt strap advancing pegs 39 are retracted (Figure 6), with theresult that the forward hooks 35 of the welt straps engage the Weltstick I and, under the pull of roller 3'! and straps 34, draw the weltstick out of the catches on the gripper arms 1 through the exit mouths33 thereof. The Welt stick I is thus connected to the straps 34in theconventional manner to enable the Welt to be turned. It may be mentionedthat, at the stage when the stick I is pulled from its catches, the weltbar 63 has reached the extremity of its travel (in the welt turningoperation) away from the needles 6i, being arrested in this extremeposition by stops 68, Figure 5. The books 36 travel at such a level thatthey pass beneath the welt bar, or the welt bar in its subsequentadvance to the needles in the act of turning the welt travels over them,so that a bight of fabric is drawn under the welt bar. At this stagehowever the pegs 39 are retracted as above described and to ensure thatthe hooks 35, 36 do not lift to foul the welt bar 69 during said stagethere is conveniently provided guide plates 69 which engage the ends ofthe welt stick I to hold it down thereby also holding the hooks 35, 36down.

It will be observed from Figure 6, that the pegs 39 are retracted to alocation whereat they appear to be in the path of the hooks 36 duringretraction of the welt straps; it is necessary, however, for the weltstraps to have uninterrupted retraction movement for tensioning, notonly the welt, but the remainder of the fabric as it is produced, andprovision is therefore made for ensuring that said hooks do notre-engage with said pegs until subsequently attached thereto by hand atthe commencement of each stocking or the like. This is illustrated inFigure '7, from which it will be observed-that the welt straps 3dinitially extend from the draw-off roller 31 to the pegs 39 and the weltstick I in a divergent manner. The arrangement is such, however, thatwhilst the welt straps are being retracted to take off the fabric, thehooks 35 of the welt straps gradually slide along the welt stick towardsthe middle thereof, and the result of this is that by the time the hooksSE of the welt straps become located in line with the retracted pegs 39,said hooks are spaced inwardly therefrom so that they pass the pegswithout engaging them.

We claim:

1. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employinga welt bar in a division of needles, welt stick mechanism for saiddivision comprising a stick-holder for releasably locating a welt stickin an elevated initial position, catches one at each side of thedivision of needles for receiving the ends of the welt stick but capableof permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means formounting the catches for movement to and from a position to receive thestick from the stick-holder, means for automatically moving the catchesfirst to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to alowered position to disengage the stick from the stick-holder andpresent it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks,take-up means attached to them, means for positioning the hooks againstthe tension of the said take-up means at a rest location in front of theneedle line, and means for automatically advancing the hooks, againstthe tension of the take-up means, beneath the welt bar from the restposition to a stick-receiving position which is nearer to the needleline and in which the hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as then todraw the stick away from the needle line and under the welt bar underthe influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being therebydrawn beneath the welt bar.

2. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employinga welt bar in a division of needles, welt stick mechanism for saiddivision comprising a stick-holder for releasably locating a welt stickin an elevated initial position, mounting means for the stick-holdersuch that the stick-holder is movable between a raised holding positionin which it retains the stick and a lowered stick-surrender position,catches one at each side of the division of needles for receiving theends of the welt stick but capable of per mitting the stick to be drawnlaterally out of them, means for mounting the catches for movement toand from a position to receive the stick from the stick-holder, meansfor automatically moving the catches first to an elevated position togrip the welt stick and then to a lowered position to disengage thestick from the stick-holder and present it in the vicinity of thesurface of the fabric, draw-01f hooks, take-up means attached to them,means for positioning the hooks against the tension of the said take-upmeans at a rest location in front of the needle line, and means forautomatically advancing the hooks, against the tension of the take-upmeans, beneath the welt bar from the rest position to a stick-receivingposition which is nearer to the needle line and in which the hooksengage the ends of the sticks so as then to draw the stick from theneedle line and under the influence of the take-up means, a bight offabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar.

3. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employinga welt bar and a picot bar in a division of needles, welt stickmechanism for said division comprising a stickholder mounted on thepicot bar such that the stick-holder is movable between a raised holdingposition in which it retains the stick and a lowered stick-surrenderposition, catches one at each side of the division of needles forreceiving the ends of the welt stick but capable of permitting the stickto be drawn laterally out of them, means for mounting the catches formovement to and from a position to receive the stick from thestick-holder, means for automatically moving the catches first to anelevated position to grip the welt stick and then to a lowered positionto disengage the stick from the stick-holder and present it in thevicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks, take-up meansattached to them, means for positioning the hooks against the tension ofthe said take-up means at a rest location in front of the needle line,and means for automatically advancing the hooks against the, tension ofthe take-up means, beneath the welt bar from the rest position to astick-receiving position which is nearer to the needle line and in whichthe hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as then to draw the stickaway from the needle line and under the welt bar under the influence ofthe take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath thewelt bar.

4. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employinga welt bar and a manually displaceable picot bar in a division ofneedles, welt stick mechanism for said division comprising astick-holder mounted on the picot bar such that the stick-holder ismanually displaceable with the picot bar between a raised holdingposition in which it retains the stick and a lowered stick-surrenderposition, catches one at each side of the division of needles forreceiving the ends of the welt stick but capable of permitting the stickto be drawn laterally out of them, means for mounting the catches formovement to and from a position to receive the stick from thestick-holder, means for automatically moving the catches first to anelevated position to grip the welt stick and then to a lowered positionto disengage the stick from the stick-holder and present it in thevicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks, take-up meansattached to them, means for positioning the hooks against that'ensiohor: the said take-up means at a rest location 'in' frontof: the" needleline, and means for-automatically advancing the hooks, against the'ten'sion. of the take-up means, beneath the Welt bar from the restposition to .a stick-receiving position which is nearer to the needleline andin; which the hooksv engage the ends of the sticks so: as then'to draw the stick away from the needle-line. and under the welt barunderthe infiuencevof the" take-up means, a bight ofi'abric being. therebydrawn beneath the Welt bar.

, .A Cottons patent or otherstraight bar" knitting. machine employingiawelt bar: in a division of: needles; welt stick mechanism for saiddivision comprising a stick holder for releasably locating a welt stickinan elevated initialp-osition; catches one at each side of thedivision. of'needles for receiving the ends of the Welt stick butcapable of permitting the stick to be'drawn laterally out of' them,means for mounting the catches for movement to and from a position toreceive the stick from the stick holder, means for automatically movingthe catches first to an elevated position to grip the welt stick andthen to a loweredposition to disengage the stick from the stick holderand-present it in the Vicinity of-the surface of the fabric, draw-offhooks, take-up means attached to them, means'for positioning the hooksagainst the tension of the take-up means at a rest location in front-ofthe needle line, said positioning means comprising subsidiary hooksassociated with the draw-on hooks-and engaging an anchorage, and meansfor automatically-advancing the draw-01f hooks, against the tension ofthe take-up means, beneath the welt bar from the rest position toa stickreceiving position which is nearer to the needle'li ne and in which thedraw-off hooks engage the ends of the stick soas then to draw the stickaway from the needle line and under the welt bar under the influence ofthe take-up means, a bight of fabric being thereby'drawn beneath thewelt bar.

6. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employinga welt bar in a divisionof-needles, welt-stick mechanism for saiddivision comprising a stick holder for releasably locating a weltstick'in' anelevated initial position, catches oneiat' each. side of thedivisionof needles" for receiving the ends of; the welt stick butcapableof permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, meansfor mounting the catches formovement to and from a position to receivethe stick from the stick holder, means for automatically moving thecatchesfirstto an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then toalowered position-to disengage the stick from the stick holder andpresent it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-oh"hooks-,-.takeup'means attached to them, means for positioning-the hooksagainst thetension of the take -up means at a rest location in front ofthe'ne'edle line, said positioning means comprising subsidiary hooksassociated with the draw-oil? hooks and engaging pegs; and means'forautomaticallymoving the pegs towards the needle line for automaticallyadvancing the draw-oiT hooks, against the tension of the take-up means,beneath the welt barfrom the rest position to a stick receiving positionwhich is nearer to the needle'line. and. in which the draw-ofi hooksengagethe ends of the sticks so as-then to draw'the stick away .from'theneedle line and under the welt bar under the influence of thetake-upmeans, a bight of'fab-ric being thereby drawn beneath the weltbar.

7. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employing.a welt bar in adivision of needles, welt stick. mechanism for-saiddivision comprising a stick holder for releasably locating a welt stickin. an elevated initial position, catches one at each side of thedivision of needles for receiving the endsof the welt stick but capableof permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means formounting the catches for movement: to and from a position to receive thestick from the stick holder, means for automatically moving'the catchesfirst to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to alowered position to disengage the stick from the stick holder andpresent it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-01f hooks,take-up means attachedto them, means for positioning the hooksagainstthe tension of the said take-up means at a rest location in frontof the needle line, means for automatically advancing the hooks againstthe tension of the take-up-means, beneath the welt bar from the restposition to a stick receiving position which is nearer to the needleline and in which the hooks engage the ends of the sticks so as then todraw the stick away from the needle line and under the welt bar underthe influence of the take-up means, a bight of fabric being therebydrawn beneath-the welt bar, and means for positively guiding the hooksand consequently the welt stick beneath the welt bar during advancingand retracting movements of the hooks.

8. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine employinga welt bar in a division of needles, welt stick mechanism for saiddivision comprising a stick holder for releasably locating a welt stickin an elevated initial position, catches one at each side of thedivision of needles for receiving the ends of the welt stick but capableof permitting the stick to be drawn laterally out of them, means formounting the catches for movement to and from a position to receive thestick from the stick holder, means for automatically moving the catchesfirst to an elevated position to grip the welt stick and then to alowered position to disengage the stick from the stick holder andpresent it in the vicinity of the surface ofthe fabric, draw-off hooks,take-up means attached tothem, means for positioning the hooks againstthe tension of the take-up-means at a rest location in front of theneedle line, said positioning means comprising subsidiary hooksassociated with the draw-off-hooks and engaging pegs, means forautomatically moving the pegs towards the needle linefcr automaticallyadvancing the drawoii hooks, against the tension of the take-up means,beneath the welt bar from the rest position to a stick receivingposition which is nearer to the needle'line and in which the-hooksengage the ends of the sticks so as then to draw the stick away from theneedle line and under the welt bar under the influence of the take-upmeans, a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar, andslot means for receiving said Fees to guide them so that the hooks (andconsequently the welt stick) arepositively guided beneath the welt barduring advancing and retracting movements of the hooks.

9. In a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machineemploying awelt bar and a pivoted picot bar that-is manually displaceable betweenoperative and inoperative positions for a division of needles, weltstick mechanism comprising a stick holder having clip means forreleasablyholdingthe stick in a laterally removable manner and carriedby the picot bar so that the stick is movable by movement of the picotbar between a raised stick holding position in which it retains thestick and a lowered stick-surrender position, catches one at each sideof the division of needles and having clip means for releasably holdingthe ends of the stick in a laterally removable manner, mounting meansfor the catches such that they are vertically movable from a lowerposition to an elevated position to receive the stick from the stickholder when the latter is in the lowered stick-surrender position, cammeans which, through the medium of suitable link and lever mechanism,operate for automatically moving the catches, first from the loweredposition to the elevated. position to grip the welt stick and then backto the lowered position to disengage the stick from the stick holder andpresent it in the vicinity of the surface of the fabric, draw-off hooks,tensioned take-up straps attached to them and to a suitable draw-offroller, subsidiary hooks associated with the draw-off hooks and engagingpegs which are slidably received in slots of slotted members under thewelt bar and are carried by link means for positioning the hooks againstthe tension of the said take-up means at a rest location in front of theneedle line,

and cam means operating gearing for automatically advancing the linkmeans and consequently the hooks, against the tension of the take-upstraps, beneath the welt bar (as guided by the pegs in the slots) fromthe rest position to a stick receiving position which is nearer theneedle line and in which the hooks engage the ends of the sticks so asnext to draw the stick away from the needle line, when the link is nextretracted, away from the needle line and under the welt bar (as againguided by the pegs and slots) under the influence of the take-up means,a bight of fabric being thereby drawn beneath the welt bar.

LEONARD BROWN.

JOHN EDWARD LYNAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,362,485 Hofmann Nov. 14, 19442,371,932 Start Mar. 20, 1945 2,381,072 Macdonald Aug. 7, 1945 2,519,991Zesch Aug. 22, 1950 2,584,136 Lambach Feb. 5, 1952

